Switch



H. a. AINSWORTH.

SWITCH. APPLICATION FILEDJUNE 29, 1921.

1,431,082, Patented Oct. 3, 1922.

I I'l ll 1| H h UNITED STATES.

Patented Oct. 3, 1922. 1

HARBY G. AINSWORTH, 0F KENTLAND, INDIANA.

SWITCH.

Application filed J'une 29, 1921. Serial No. 481,344.

To all whom it may concern: 1 I

Be it known that I, HARRY G. Arnswonrrr,

a citizenof the United States, residing at Kentland, in the county ofNewton and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Switches, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the referencecharacters marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to switches used in electric systems and moreparticularly to a switch'designed to be located outside of a garageandin the roadway, where the wheels of a vehicle may pass over it tooperate the switch.

The object of theinvention is toproduce a simple, durable switch,located in a body or housing, which may be sunk or buried in the ground,but leaving projecting above the surface of the ground or roadway, adepressible button adapted for contact with the vehicle wheels.

To this end, the invention consists of the devices and combination ofdevices illustrated, described and claimed. r

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a central, verti- "cal sectional view of adevice embodying my invention. v

2 is a plan view, partly in section, of the housing member with the capremoved, the parts that are sectioned being upon the dotted line 22 ofFig. 1.

A is a body or housing; B the cap, and C the movable button. The housingA comprises a cylindrical or cup shaped'p'art 1,

with a lateral extension 2, and having at its upper end a horizontalflange member 3. The cover B is secured to the flange member 3 by bolts4. Rising from the inside of the bottom wall 5 of the housing andcentrally thereof, is an apertured bearing boss 6, the inner wallsthereof forming a suitable supportingguideway for the lower end of aboss or plunger rod member 7. The upper end of this'rod member 7 issecured to a downwardly projecting, apertured hub or boss 8, dependingfrom the inside of the button C." The cap or lid B is provided with apair of bosses 9, 10, arranged in axial "alignment with the lowerbearing boss 6, and being apertured, the walls thereof forming aguideway for the rod as clearly shown.

In the chamber of the housing A and surrounding the boss 6, I usuallyplace lubricating oil which is indicated at 11. The rod 7 is centrallyapertured at 12, the upper end of the aperture or passageway beingturned and directed to the periphery of the rod 7. Oil will pass througha small aperture or passageway 13 into the interior of the boss 6, andup through the passageway or conduit 12. Every time the button C isdepressed,

the lower end of the rod 7 acting as a plun ger, forces the oil upwardlyand out through the bent upper end of the passageway 12, and thus actsas a lubricant for the rod 7,thereby fa ilitating its longitudinalmovement through the cover B and bosses 9 and 10. i v

The lower portion 14 of the rod 7 is of smaller diameter than is theupper portion, thereby forming an annular shoulder at 15. 16 is anapertured bearing plate adapted to be moveddownwardly by contact withthe shoulder 15 when the rod 7 is moved.

An interiorly directed lug 17 extends vertically from that wall of thebody A opposite to the extension 2 of the housing or body and acts as aguideway tor the separated lugs 18, which project from one end of theplate 16. The lower end of the plate 16 is providedwith a central boss19. 20]

is a spiral spring surrounding the boss 19 and the hub 6, one of itsends bearing upon the bottom wall 5 of the housing and its 1 other endbearing against the under surface of the plate 16.

The normal action of this spring 20 is to keep the plate 16 pressed upagainst the shoulder 15 of the rod 7, which shoulder in its normalposition'is in the same horizontal plane as the lower edge of the boss9. 1

On that side of the plate16, oppositethe lugs 18, is a lug21, onwhich'is mounted a bolt 22 having a somewhat enlarged head I 23. 24 is aswitch operating arm pivotally mounted at 25 to the inside wall of theextension 2 of the housing, and having its free end bent downwardlyto-connect with a laterally disposed lug 26, through which the bolt 22may freely slide. 27 is a coiled spring surrounding the bolt 22 andhaving its lower end resting upon the upper surface of the lug 26 andits upperend' pressing beneath the head 23. s

In the extension 2, I provide an aperture 28 through which the positiveand negative wires 29, 30, of an electric system, may be laced, to theterminals 31, 32, re-

spectively. 33 is the usual flat metal contact strip, secured to theterminal 31 and adapted to be depre sed upon the terminal 32 to closethe circuit. IB-t is an insulated movalle button, adapted to actuate thecontact strip 33 and 35 is a downwardly projecting lug secured to thepivoted arm 52-1: adapted to contact with and operate the button as Theoperation of the device will. be clearly understood. Assuming the partsto be in the position illustrated in Fig. l and the lines 30, connectedup with an electric ysteni for any useful purpose, such for example, asa controlling dev'ce tor garage doors, the occupant of a car will driveso that the wheel at the vehicle will run over the button C. This willdepress the button and the rod 7. The rod 7, by reason of the shoulder15, will depress the plate 16, contracting the spring 20. The downwardmo ement of the plate it? will carry w th it the tree end oi": the arm2%, thus causing he boss to contact with the insulated button 34; whichlatter ill depress the strip 33 and closethe circuit between theterminals and rtt the same time, the lower end of the rod 7 will act asa plungor within the bearing boss 6 and force the oil up to lubricatethe upper bearing ot the plunger rod, as before stated. As soon aspressure on the button C is released, the spring 20 will. expand andreturn the plate 16 and with it the rod 7 to their normal positions.This will also permit the spring 27 to expand and carry the free end ofthe arm 24 upwardly, thus releasing any pressure through the boss 35upon the insulated button 34. The strip 33 will thereupon spring to itsnormal upper position, opening the circuit as shown in l Thedevice isexceedingly simple, has no complicated parts to get out of order, and

its operation requires no study or skill. The

button C and its plunger rod may be removed by simply lifting the rod 7out oi? itsl'iearings and if it is desired to inspect the interior ofthe housing A or clean it, the cover B may be quickly and easily removedby unscrewing the screw bolts l.

I claim as my invention:

1. An electric switch comprising a housing, a removable cap, guidehearings in the housing and. cap, an exposed button having a supportingrod movable in said bearings, means for holding the rod in apredetermined position, a. pair of contact points in the housing, aconnecting strip on one adapted to be pressed upon the other contactpoint, an insulated movable button for depressing the connecting strip,and operating connections between the supporting rod and said insulatedbutton for actuating the latter.

2. An electric switch comprising a housing, a removable cap, guidebearings in the housing and cap, an exposed button having a supportingrod movable in said bearings, means for holding the rod in apredetermined position, a pair of contact points in the housing,connecting strip on one adapted to be pressed upon the other contactpoint, an insulated movable button -for depressing the connecting strip,operating connections liietween the supporting rod and said insulatedbutton for actuating the latter, said means including a pivoted armoverhanging the insulated button.

3. An electric switch comprising a housing, a removable cap, guidehearings in the housing and cap, an exposed button having a supportingrod movable in said bearings, means for holding the rod in apredetermined posit-ion, a pair of cont-act points in the housing, aconnecting strip on one adapted to be pressed upon the other contactpoint, an insulated movable button for depressing the connecting strip,operating connections between the supporting rod and said insulatedbutton tor actuating the latter, said means including a plate upon andmovable with the supporting rod, an arm. pivoted within the housing andover hanging the insulated button and connections between the plate andsaid arm.

a. An electric switch comprising a housing, a remr *able cap therefor,aligned guide bearings in the housing and cap, a supporting rod in saidbearings with one end projecting above the cap, a button on the rod end,a plate within the housing dcpressible by the rod, means tor returningthe plate to normal position after being depressed, a pair ot contactpoints within the housing, a connecting strip on one point adapted tocontact with the other contact point to close a circuit, and operativemeans connected with the plate to actuate said contact strip.

5. An electric switch comprising a housing, a removable cap therefor,aligned guide bearings in the housing and cap, a supporting rod in saidbearings with one end projecting above the cap, a button on the rod end,a plate within the housing depressible by the rod, means for returningthe plate to normal. position after being depressed, apair of contact)Olllt'S within the housing, a con necting strip on one point adapted tocontact with the other contact point to close a circuit, and operativemeans connected with the plate to actuate said contact strip, said platereturning means including a spiral spring.

6. An electric switch comprising a housing, a removable cap therefor,aligned guide bearings in the housing and cap, a supporting rod in saidbearings with one end projecting above the cap, a button on the rod end,a plate within the housing depressible by the rod, means for returningthe plate to normal position after being depressed, a pair of contactpoints within the housing, a con necting strip on one point adapted tocontact with the other contact point to close a cirinwardly from thatpart of the wall of the cuit, and operative means connected with theplate to actuate said contact strip, said operative means including aspring controlled pivoted arm.

7. An electric switch comprising a housing, a removable captherefor,aligned guide bearings in the housing and cap, a supporting rod in saidbearings with one end projecting above the cap, a button on the rod end,a plate within the housing depressible by the rod, means for returningthe plate to normal position after being depressed, apair of contactpoints within the housing, a connecting strip on one point adapted tocontact with the other contact point to close a circuit, and operativemeans connected with the plate to actuate said contact strip, said platereturning means including a spiral spring and said operative meansincluding a spring controlled pivoted arm.

8. housing for a covered electric switch comprising a cast metal body, aremovable cap therefor, aligned guide bearings in the cap and the lowerpart of the body, an extension on the body for supporting a pair ofcontact points, an aperture in the extension for the admission ofcircuit wires, and

a vertically disposed guide flange projecting body opposite theextension.

9. A vehicle operated circuit closer comprising a cup shaped housing anda removable cap upon its open end, a movable presser button and anattached rod member, an apertured boss on the cap aflfording a. guidehearing for the rod, an apertured boss on the inside of the housing toform an aligned guide bearing for the lower end of the rod, an apertureor conduit through the wall of the last mentioned boss, a conduitextending longitudinally of the rod, communicating normally at its lowerend with the interior of the housing boss above the level of theaperture through the wall thereof, said rod conduit extending laterallyat its upper end to communicate with the interior wall of the capbearing boss, a pair of contact points in the housing, cooperativeconnections between the movable rod and one of said contact points forclosing the circuit and a spring surrounding the housing boss andadapted to raise the rod to open the circuit.

HARRY G. AINSWORTH.

Witnesses CLARENCE J FLAOK, JOHN EASTER.

